1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a walking trainer having at least one orthotic, with holding devices for the foot or leg area, which is moved along a preset motion track to execute a natural walking movement, whereby the walking trainer is arranged on a base.
2. Description of the Related Art
Treadmill training has been successfully used for some time in the treatment of paraplegic patients and/or patients suffering from neurological damage and illnesses, whereby mostly a partial body weight relief is made possible by a suspension device. This enables the patient to train the walking movement even if he is unable to walk independently or can only walk with therapeutic assistance. The aim of the exercise is to stimulate the metabolic processes and to maintain the function of the muscles and joints.
Particularly in order to relieve the physiotherapists here, who conventionally have been forced to move the feet of the patient according to a natural walking pattern, there are already various suggestions for providing ambulation training systems with which the patients can train essentially independently on their own. For example, from International Patent Application No. PCT/EP 2006/000523, a walking aid for a mechanically driven treadmill is already known, which comprises at least one tractive element guided over, in each case, two deflection rollers and driven directly or indirectly via the treadmill, whereby the tract of the tractive element that directly faces the treadmill moves in the same direction as the treadmill and the tract of the tractive element that faces away from the treadmill moves in the opposite direction of the treadmill, as well as at least one fixing element, arranged on the tractive element, for holding the feet and/or leg region. This walking aid offers a very simple structure, whereby the position of the two lower legs or feet is firmly set, while simultaneously a very even movement can be ensured through the tractive element.
A corresponding automatic treadmill therapy can be used as an effective standard therapy for numerous movement disorders and for the consequences of injuries for orthopedically/traumatologically ill patients. Examples include hemi-, para- and tetraplegics, spastic paralysis, multiple sclerosis and cranio-cerebral trauma. In addition, such automated treadmill therapy can also be used in geriatrics to maintain the mobility of elderly people.
In particular, because the known walking aid has proven to be extremely effective in practice, there is a need for more extensive walking training for appropriate patients, but particularly, however, also for patients who have already regained a certain degree of their mobility, or patients who should continue to be given the possibility of essentially independent training. Furthermore, there is a need for the provision of a walking aid or walking trainer with which it is also possible to treat the patients directly on the spot, meaning in their own rooms.